The Healing Solaris Cleric

Chapter 244: An Unexpected Connection (2)

Helik cried sorrowfully, as if the sky itself had fallen. But she was the only one taking the situation seriously.

Horn, watching Helik, chuckled instead.

And of course, at that moment, Kai was...

[Witness of Earth]

Rank: Special

Description: A title granted to those who have witnessed the Earth God Horn with their own eyes.

Effect: Gain additional 50% when Strength stat increases (This effect remains even when title is unequipped).

He smiled brightly, resulting in a strange scene unfolding. One person was crying, one chuckling, and one smiling brightly. Sorry to Helik, but his mind wasn’t occupied with her at that moment.

An additional 50% increase to Strength stat?

The Earth God Horn was worshipped by the dwarves and was the one who presided over craftsmanship and the arts related to skilled handiwork.

The Witness of the Sun gave a 50% bonus to the Benevolence stat...

But the abilities of the Witness of Earth were no less impressive. In fact, Strength stats had a far broader range of utilization than the Benevolence stat, making them potentially more advantageous depending on how they were used.

Wait a second. If that’s the case...?

Once might be a coincidence, but twice meant something different. Witness of the Sun and Witness of Earth. With the two statistics, Kai could form a hypothesis.

Meeting gods grants witness titles.

Similarly, revisiting both cases revealed that the witness titles provided additional stat boosts.

I need to stay on good terms with the gods.

As Kai thought this, his gaze fell on Helik, who was still crying.

“Ahem.”

Kai slowly approached Helik and pulled a handkerchief from his inventory, using it to wipe her flowing tears.

“Helik, stop crying.”

“Waaahh... heuuup... sniff...”

Helik couldn’t stop crying immediately, so Kai let out a soft sigh and brought the handkerchief to her nose.

“Helik, blow.”

Helik blew her nose into the handkerchief.

“And eat up all the leftover snacks in your mouth.”

“O-okay...”

Even as she chewed on her tear-soaked cookies, her face radiated pure happiness.

Once her face was clean again, Kai scolded her.

“If you keep crying like that, Santa won’t bring you any presents.”

“But... Roby said there’s no such thing as Santa, so it’s okay to cry.”

The God of Love, Roby. Kai had heard of them once before from Helik.

Telling a kid something like that...

Kai shook his head, and gently patted Helik’s head.

“That’s not true. Santa is real.”

“... Really?”

“You even ate the Christmas Special Split last time, didn’t you? That was a gift from Santa.”

“Christmas Special Split!”

A brilliant flash of light radiated around her head. Among the snacks she had enjoyed the most, the Christmas Special Split undoubtedly ranked in her top three favorites!

“I can’t believe that was a gift from Santa... He’s truly a wonderful being.”

“So, if you don’t cry, you’ll be able to get another present this year, right?”

“Yeah... but I already cried...”

Helik quickly grew sullen and stared down at the ground.

It always feels like I’m dealing with a child rather than a god.

Thankfully, Kai had plenty of experience dealing with situations like this and easily began soothing her.

“It’s fine. I’ll keep it a secret that you cried.”

“W-will you really do that?”

With a surprised expression, Helik suddenly brought her legs together and even knelt for some reason.

Slightly taken aback by her exaggerated reaction, Kai hesitantly nodded in response.

“O-of course. And Horn over there will also keep it a secret that you cried.”

“H-Horn too?”

Helik’s eyes shined. If someone locked eyes with those bright, gleaming eyes for more than two seconds, they would feel compelled to grant any request.

However, the one under that gaze, Horn, deeply furrowed his brow.

“Dang it, I’ve gotten myself into something bothersome... Fine, just stop staring.”

“Horn! You truly are my friend!”

Feeling a bit better, Helik began fidgeting with her hands while cautiously glancing at Kai.

“Uh, but Kai... what about the snacks...”

“There won’t be any today.”

Helik’s shoulders dropped again.

At that moment, Kai began to strategize how to win her over.

“But on a day like today, when you’re spending time talking with your friends, wouldn’t it be proper to treat your friends to some snacks as the host?”

“Th-that’s exactly what I meant! I wasn’t saying I wanted it for myself. It’s for... my friends...”

Helik kept sneaking glances at Horn as she spoke.

“Hmph. What’s so delicious about something so sweet? Tsk tsk. You don’t even drink beer when I offer it.”

Beer?

Kai’s ears perked up at Horn’s words, and he asked, “Do you like beer, by any chance?”

“Hm? Of course. I was the one who taught my children how to make it in the first place.”

In a way, it was an obvious statement. He was the god who presided over the earth and craftsmanship. Horn had given much knowledge to the dwarves, who closely resembled him.

The dwarves’ beer is already famous throughout Libertia. But, the opposite is even greater.

The opposite. In other words, it referred to the alcohol that dwarves were absolutely crazy about.

Currently, in MID Online, every type of alcohol that exists in the modern world has been introduced.

Wine, vodka, soju, sake, whiskey, and even unique spirits like rum and baijiu!

On top of that, the experimental samples are already complete.

This had already been proven by the dwarves of the Kingdom of Ingart. They spent almost every day indulging in the endless variety of beer and alcohol brewed by humans, living as if in paradise.

I even know the name of the beer they drink the most.

Westvleteren 12.

It was Belgian beer, considered one of the best in the world. The beer bottle had no label, emblem, or even a company logo. Yet, its distinctive rich fruity aroma, sweet chocolate-like aftertaste, and the refreshing sensation unique to beer had elevated Westvleteren 12 to the pinnacle of the world’s beers.

I’ve tried it myself, and it was absolutely phenomenal.

Horn’s eyes would undoubtedly roll back in sheer delight after he tasted it. And that wasn’t all.

How could one speak of drinks without the appropriate snacks?

Recently, NPCs in MID Online had been going wild over the amazing fast foods and modern cuisine of the real world. What if those were offered to Horn?

Surely, I’d get something in return.

Having made up his mind, Kai said to Horn, “Horn, would you please wait for a moment?”

“Hm? What for?”

“I have a gift I’d like to present to you. It won’t take long.”

“Haha. To think I’d live to see the day when a human gives me a gift. Very well, I’ll wait.”

No one disliked gifts. Not even a god. As Horn stroked his white beard with a satisfied expression, Kai descended to the mortal realm.

“K-Kai... What about my gift...”

Just before vanishing completely using Shadow Shift, Kai thought he heard Helik’s sorrowful voice echo in his ears.

***

“Hm. What is this?”

In front of Horn stood a long table, and on the table was a single keg of beer and a snack, both looking incredibly appetizing.

“This is chicken?”

“Yes. You don’t get to eat chicken often, do you?”

“Hm. Artificial food like beer can be made even in the heavenly realms, but living creatures are a different story. I do eat chicken once a year when my children offer it to me during their annual ritual.”

At those words, Kai couldn’t help but grin. “I can guarantee that you might end up feeling a bit upset with your dwarves today.”

“Mm? Upset with my own children?” Horn tilted his head, unable to understand what Kai meant.

Seeing was believing. No explanation or description could surpass experiencing it firsthand.

“Please, try it first.”

“... Haha. With you insisting so much, I’ll give it a try.”

Horn picked up a drumstick of the enticingly red seasoned Korean fried chicken[1] and, with a nonchalant expression, took a bite. As he took the large bite and chewed a few times, his eyes widened to their absolute limits. The shock was so immense that he couldn’t even form proper words!

Horn had entered an ecstatic world of flavor that spread through his entire body from the tip of his tongue. After enjoying the brilliant taste for a while, he finally regained his composure.

“What is the name of this dish?”

“It’s called Yangnyeom Chicken.”

“Yangnyeom Chicken...”

Just one bite, and Horn was utterly captivated by the dish. The only chicken he had eaten so far had been simple roasted chicken cooked over charcoal, but this dish was different.

I never thought I’d find food so beautiful...

The thin layer of crispy batter wrapping the chicken, drenched in the red sauce like a comforting blanket, made the batter moist. Surprisingly, the loss of crispness didn’t feel disappointing. Instead, it enhanced the texture, making it even more enjoyable in the mouth. And when he saw the sesame seeds delicately sprinkled atop the chicken as the finishing touch, Horn couldn’t help but let out an exclamation of awe.

“You’re right. I feel like blaming my children.”

“From now on, dishes like this will likely appear at their rituals.”

“Haha. To think such a world exists... And this must be the beer you mentioned?”

“That’s correct. It’s called Westvleteren 12.”

“What a grandiose name. But what matters isn’t the name—it’s the taste,” Horn boldly exclaimed, and grabbed a glass filled with beer.

Then, he brought the glass to his lips and tilted his head back.

Gulp, gulp.

Once the glass reached his lips, it didn’t come down until it was completely empty.

Thud!

Horn, having emptied the beer glass in one go, wore an expression of pure joy, as if he had reached a state of euphoria.

“I-is this really what they call beer?”

“Yes. It’s a bit different from what you’ve been drinking until now, isn’t it?”

Without another word, Horn refilled his glass from the beer keg. He drank again, and again.

Thud.

Wiping the liquid off his white beard with the back of his hand, Horn declared, “I admit defeat.”

“Pardon?”

“Yangnyeom Chicken. Sure, no matter how delicious chicken is, I can simply enjoy it since my expertise isn’t in cooking. However, when it comes to beer, I considered myself second to none.”

That confidence was shattered in a single day by a Belgian beer hailed as one of the best in the modern world.

“I will create a beer that surpasses even this one,” Horn ambitiously declared.

However, that resolve was short-lived as he began devouring the food in front of him.

“Mm! Beer with Yangnyeom Chicken is a match made in heaven!”

“We call that chimaek[2].”

“Ch-chimaek?”

“It’s an abbreviation for chicken and beer.”

“I see. Chimaek! Even the name sounds powerful. I like it—chimaek! Chimaek!”

In just a few minutes, Horn had become an enthusiastic devotee of chimaek.

After finishing what could be called a true feast for the first time in a long while, he patted his now bulging belly.

“This was the most enjoyable meal of my life.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“I am Horn, the god of the earth. It is not in a god’s nature to accept grace and give nothing in return. If there is something you desire, tell me.”

The time has come!

Kai’s eyes sparkled at Horn’s words. He glanced at Helik, then back at Horn.

Finally, he voiced his thoughts.

“Would the two of you consider hosting a grand banquet and inviting the other gods as well?”

It was the grand vision he had been painting in his mind since the moment he first saw the two of them.

1. seasoned Korean fried chicken ☜

2. Chimaek is a Korean term that refers to Korean fried chicken and beer served together. The term is a combination of the Korean words chicken and maekju, which means beer. ☜